Evolutionize 7mm Knee Sleeves Review — Too Supportive?

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Evolutionize knee sleeves are one of the most popular compression based knee sleeves sold on Amazon.com for powerlifters, weightlifters, and heavy duty lifting. Evolutionize knee sleeves are sold in pairs, and are marketed to be “unbreakable, ultra-heavy duty, and offer maximum support and warmth”. I was fortunate enough to grab a pair of these sleeves, and was eager to see how they would perform during heavy and explosive training sessions.

In this article I’m reviewing the Evolutionize 7mm knee sleeve.

Click HERE to buy the Evolutionize Knee Sleeves, now rebranded as Stoic.

Stability

The Evolutionize 7mm knee sleeves register at 7mm of thickness, which is a standard thickness for most recreational and competitive power, strength, and fitness athletes. With that said, I found these knee sleeves to be some of the most rigid and supportive sleeves I have trained in to date (for reference, I’ve worn 10+ pairs different brands and thicknesses throughout my training), however it comes at the cost of flexibility and being able to move freely in the sleeve.

I found the stiffness and rigidity to be much more noticeable, and for lifters not concerned with moving fast (powerlifting, some strongman events, bodybuilding) this may not be an issue. However, as a weightlifter, I found these to be pretty restrictive to my movement patterning. The length of the material, while definitely offering some good support and warmth, spans across the entire knee joint and many inches above/below making them very bulky. Additionally, the high compressive nature of the sleeve was very tight and didn’t allow my knee to flex as freely as I wanted.

Personally, I found these sleeves to offer too much support and joint warmth for nearly every movement I perform as a weightlifter and fitness athlete, solely because I felt I was somewhat restricted in my patterning during olympic lifts, loaded carries, etc. For lifters who are potentially used to tighter knee wraps and rigid sleeves (I sometimes perform without sleeves), this may not be as big of an issue.

With that said, lifters who are looking for a great deal of support, (heavy rebounds out of heavier lifts) and are not entirely concerned with the flexibility and movement within these sleeves (see comfort and fit section for more), these sleeves could be a good option as they offer heavy duty support across the entire knee joint and surrounding areas.

Comfort and Fit

The sleeves come in one color (black), all measuring 7mm in thickness.

The Evolutionize 7mm knee sleeves sizing was, for all sakes and purposes, comparable to other 7mm knee sleeves that I have reviewed as well as trained/competed in (see the video for my complete measurement and sizing breakdowns). I did find that they ran pretty tight, as I had some issues putting the sleeves on and taking them off (there are special instructions by Evolutionize on how to put them on and take them off), as the methods of doing so are not like most other 7mm sleeves.

The sleeves themselves, once on, fit very snug, and covered much more of the surrounding quad and shin, which did create some extra bulk during the deep bending of the knee in squatting movements. The sleeve stays in place during most training sessions due to its pretty tight fit as well as the gripper tab designs on the interior of the sleeve (at both the top and the bottom openings).

With that said, I did find that these sleeves kept my knees warm and very supported, however the tradeoff was that they felt restricting at times, specifically when approaching more ballistic and functional fitness movements (cleans, jumps, lunges, etc). As stated above, lifters who are used to heavy duty supportive gear and knee wraps may not have as big of an issue with the lack of movement and comfort in the sleeve as I, especially when performing stationary low velocity movements.

Material

The Evolutionize 7mm sleeve has demonstrated superior stiffness and support, and I think that comes at the expense of comfort and flexibility during most of my weightlifting, strongman, and general hypertrophy training. The 7mm neoprene has remained intact, however, showing little signs of wear and tear, and still provides heavy duty support with it’s seamless sleeve construction.

I found the material to be very similar to other 7mm knee sleeves on the market, however I did find it much more rigid and hard to put on and take off (see the video as there is a special way to do this). That said, material was well made and I feel it could hold up to the heaviest and hardest of training for most strength and power athletes.

Durability

The durability of these sleeves seems to be very similar to some of the other top 7mm knee sleeves on the market, maybe even more so. While I have worn these sleeves for a few heavy squat sessions, they are showing know signs of wear and tear, almost making me think I am not as strong as I thought.

Price

The price for the Evolutionize 7mm Knee sleeve is $40.00 for two sleeves (a complete pair). This is very similar to other knee sleeves on the market, however is almost half the price of some of the more rigid knee sleeves we have reviewed.

For lifters looking for maximal support and are not concerned with flexibility of the sleeve, this is a good deal when compared to other 7mm sleeves for strength and power athletes.

Final Thoughts

The Evolutionize 7mm knee sleeves offer a high degree of support and compression, however do sacrifice the ability to be flexible during more movement based and higher rep training.

Personally, I have found these sleeves to offer excessive support during heavy and high volume squat cycles, snatches, and heavy cleans, as I found them to be somewhat restricting during most of my weightlifting and general fitness training.

For lifters who are more concerned with maximal stiffness, support, and rigidity of a sleeve (and are willing to sacrifice movement and flexibility of the sleeve), these may be a good option compared to the other knee sleeves I have reviewed. The price tag is a very reasonable, especially since you are getting some heavy duty and durable sleeves. For beginners or lifters looking for a more balance sleeve (offers good support without sacrificing movement and flexibility), I feel that there are other better 7mm knee sleeve options on the market at the same price point.

Evolutionize 7mm Knee Sleeve

$ per pair - $40

8.5

Support

9.4/10

Comfort and Fit

7.0/10

Material

8.5/10

Durability

8.5/10

Price

9.0/10

Pros

Very Supportive

Firm Fit

Longer Sleeve

Cons

Mike holds a Master's in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor's in Exercise Science. Currently, Mike has been with BarBend since 2016, where he covers Olympic weightlifting, sports performance training, and functional fitness. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and is the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at New York University, in which he works primarily with baseball, softball, track and field, cross country. Mike is also the Founder of J2FIT, a strength and conditioning brand in New York City that offers personal training, online programs for sports performance, and has an established USAW Olympic Weightlifting club. In his first two years writing with BarBend, Mike has published over 500+ articles related to strength and conditioning, Olympic weightlifting, strength development, and fitness. Mike’s passion for fitness, strength training, and athletics was inspired by his athletic career in both football and baseball, in which he developed a deep respect for the barbell, speed training, and the acquisition on muscle. Mike has extensive education and real-world experience in the realms of strength development, advanced sports conditioning, Olympic weightlifting, and human movement. He has a deep passion for Olympic weightlifting as well as functional fitness, old-school bodybuilding, and strength sports. Outside of the gym, Mike is an avid outdoorsman and traveller, who takes annual hunting and fishing trips to Canada and other parts of the Midwest, and has made it a personal goal of his to travel to one new country, every year (he has made it to 10 in the past 3 years). Lastly, Mike runs Rugged Self, which is dedicated to enjoying the finer things in life; like a nice glass of whiskey (and a medium to full-bodied cigar) after a hard day of squatting with great conversations with his close friends and family.

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